Kimmel’s late-night present returns to full ABC protection after blackout ends

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is set to air again nationwide after two major broadcast groups dropped the show last week in a dispute with ABC’s parent company, Disney.

Nexstar Media Group announced Friday that it would bring the late-night program back to its 30 ABC affiliates. Hours earlier, Sinclair Broadcast Group also confirmed it would reinstate the show on its roughly 40 ABC stations. Together, the decisions restore the program’s full reach across the country, reports the New York Post.

The blackout started after host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended for four days over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer and Trump supporters.  Even after the suspension was lifted, both Nexstar and Sinclair held out, refusing to air the show.

Sinclair had pushed for Kimmel to deliver an on-air apology and to make a donation to Turning Point USA. The company eventually backed off without receiving those concessions. A source familiar with the matter told The Post that Disney did not agree to any editorial changes.

“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair said in a statement. The group also cited feedback from viewers and advertisers and referenced “troubling acts of violence,” including a shooting at an ABC station in Sacramento, as part of its decision-making process.

Disney has not commented publicly. Media insiders, however, noted that CEO Bob Iger was expected to press affiliates to stick to their agreements with ABC. Those agreements outline strict rules about when local broadcasters can refuse to carry network content. Some insiders even suggested that Disney could have withheld marquee programming like “Monday Night Football” to force compliance.

Meanwhile, President Trump criticized Kimmel’s return, writing on Truth Social: “Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad ratings.”